A Silent But Deadly Assassin
by Imperfectly Yours
Summary: Sesshomaru Taiji, Japan’s most deadly assassin, is assigned a task to retrieve the Shikon Jewel from a young human girl. But as plans go awry and decisions are made, will he reveal his secret before it’s too late? ON HOLD


**A Silent But Deadly Assassin**  
_By Imperfectly-Yours_

**Disclaimer:** Inuyasha is not mine, but life shall go on.

**Summary:** Sesshomaru Taiji, Japan's deadliest assassin, is assigned a task to retrieve the Shikon Jewel from a young human girl. But as plans go awry and decisions are made, will he reveal his secret before it's too late? REVISED

Reviews are like cookies for authors. Everyone likes cookies.

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**Chapter One**

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_The legend of Sesshomaru Taiji traveled about Japan like the Western Wind carries the delicate Sakura leaves. Not only was he one of the most deadly, and prized assassins, but the legend also tells of a deep and mysterious romance held between two very unlikely beings. The legend shows how a cruel and ruthless demon had his icy heart melted by a simple human. But like all legends, it has to start off someplace, and has many twists and turns before it ends._

It was a horrible and dreadful night. Storm clouds rolled in from behind golden grass hills, covering the distant Tokyo skyline with thick swirls of grey, black, and midnight blue. Thunder boomed loudly, its echo stirring the water of a small river below, and shaking the mahogany branches of Sakura trees. Soon after, lightning crept quickly from behind the dark clouds, lighting up the blackened sky like a show of yellow fireworks.

Rain began to fall quickly and heavily, flattening the long grass of the hills in such a manner that the fields themselves began to look drowsy and depressed. In fact, a summer storm like this, which would last about three days, suggested that nothing but foxes and rabbits lived in the outskirts of Tokyo. A small sodden warehouse on a hill proved otherwise.

And then a figure appeared, cloaked and barely visible through the heavy downpour.

It meandered its way to that very same shack, following a twisting path to a bridge across a now turbulent river and through a thin forest of Birch and Sakura to the grassy hills below. It carried itself with large careful strides and walked very quickly despite the slush of the muddy trails, making it seem almost inhuman.

The figure reached the base of a small hill on which the wooden shack rested. It walked up the muddy and slippery slope with much ease, reaching the doorway. It did not have to knock, however, for the door creaked slightly open as soon as it arrived, revealing a darkness from within that seeped out like nightfall, making the inside of the shack look like a black and formidable pit.

The figure stood in the damp doorway; pushing the door out of its way with such force that it hit the wooden wall behind, shaking the whole warehouse. It slowly made its way into the shack, and stopped in the middle where a table, a lamp, and another figure sat, hidden in the darkness beyond the lamp's weak light. The shack door then slammed closed, but neither of the mysterious beings moved.

The standing hooded figure then sat down on a small wooden chair by the table. It removed its cloak, revealing a man with startling moon-lit silver hair, and a furry white tail slung over his shoulder. His face was pale and emotionless as he stared at the dark figure across the table, his eyes that looked like liquid gold glinting dangerously in the almost-darkness of the hut.

And yet this man was not a man. He looked young, with boy-like features only hardened and rigid with disdain. He had a purple crescent on his forehead and stripe markings painted across his cheeks.

This man was no man at all. He was a demon.

It was a while before any words were spoken. Rain pounded on the roof and against the dusty window panes and the shack trembled every time thunder cried out.

Finally, the pale man with the moonlight-dusted hair spoke.

"Naraku." He greeted, his eyes remaining locked on the motionless shadow across from him.

"Sesshomaru… I have been waiting." A dark voice replied.

The shadow crept forward, and in the musty light from the flickering lamp, he saw a man covered by a white and brown baboon cloak.

"You have requested my presence." The silver haired demon Sesshomaru stated flatly.

"Yes, I have a task for you. Are you willing—"

"I do not want any games, Naraku," Sesshomaru cut across him quickly, his voice dripping with venom, "Nor do I want any cryptic requests. Tell me what you demand and I will tell you your obligations to me."

Naraku chuckled softly in the darkness.

"Sesshomaru, the matter that is at hand is no mere game or silly riddle." Naraku replied. A slight smirk tugged at his lips. "In fact, it may be your most challenging task yet. Though, if I may add, the reward you could receive is worth more than any sack of gold. It's _priceless_."

Sesshomaru stared at Naraku without the slightest hint of excitement. He did, however, nod slightly to signal him to continue.

"Good, now that I have your full attention, I shall give you your only warning. Though I doubt you will fail, but if in fact it does occur, I will not hesitate to kill those who are weak, or show pity to those who cannot complete my tasks." The demon Naraku's voice was slightly scented with anger.

"I have not yet failed any task given to me; your warning is futile." Replied Sesshomaru.

There was a long pause.

"You must kill a human girl."

"And why would I waste hours on a task such as that?" Sesshomaru's words were frosted.

"Oh, I assure you Sesshomaru, this simple girl is a matter of great importance. Your precious time will not be spent without reason. For, as you and the girl herself do not know, she carries the Shikon no Tama beneath her breastbone."

Even Sesshomaru, who seemed to be the master of masking his emotions, let slip a hint of surprise across his face.

And yet, all he had to say was "Hn."

"I know what you are thinking: how can such a lesser being be capable of holding such an immensely powerful item, and without knowing it?"

Sesshomaru stared blankly on, seeming completely uninterested. However, Naraku continued on, ignoring this.

"She is the reincarnation of the late priestess, Kikyou, who had passed centuries before. The Shikon no Tama had been burned with her body, and so now it lies beneath this girl's breastbone." There was a short pause. "However, she has also inherited miko powers."

Sesshomaru gave a small shrug, far from troubled. "No matter." His eyes flickered to the door.

Naraku put his hand out in protest. "Wait, my dear assassin, I am not finished."

Sesshomaru let out a low grumble like an impatient beast waiting for dinner.

"Her name is Kagome Higurashi. She—"

Sesshomaru cut across his words once more.

"Such information does not have any importance to me. Do not bore me with facts that I do not require. You seem to misunderstand that I do not need a name to thrust my sword into flesh." He glared.

"Well, my dear assassin, you should know that such information is very valuable in such a task. How else will you find her in such a large city, and make arrangements to dispatch of her?" Naraku paused, waiting for a response. Nothing followed. "Now, will you let me continue, or must I fight to finish a sentence?"

Naraku chuckled, almost teasing. "Good. Now listen carefully, for without this information you are doomed to fail. This young girl, Kagome, now lives at a boarding school in the heart of Tokyo, known as Madisuko. To find her within this school should be fairly simple, as there are directories and such. But be on your guard, for people have little trust these days, and for good reason too," he let out another dark chuckle, "so you might have to resort to different methods. A disguise perhaps?"

Sesshomaru's eyes reduced to slits; a python ready to strike. "I will not lower myself any more than I have to. A disguise is not necessary; I will put my sword through her chest and be done with it." His words were loud yet constrained, but any mere human would have shrunk to his feet due to its power.

Despite his angry words, Naraku let out a long laugh. "You fool. You think it would be that easy? You think the Shikon is just a lump beneath the skin?" He laughed again. "No, my dear Sesshomaru. The Shikon no Tama is within the young girl's heart, only accessible if you can soften it. Otherwise, the heart will protect the jewel. If you are to kill her before the heart has released itself to you, she will die and the Shikon forever gone with her soul."

Sesshomaru seemed to bear no response. Naraku continued.

"And so, this might be just your toughest task yet. Indeed you must reduce yourself to her level, you must trick her. Her heart must belong to you completely before you tear it open. It is cruel that it works that way but it is the only way, my assassin. She _must _love you, she _must _trust you before the Toukijin will eat any flesh. I have faith you will complete this task accordingly, and when you do, return to me in haste."

The white-haired demon's eyes flashed golden within the dark.

"What of her miko powers?" He asked.

"She is unaware that they exist. However, there is a slight chance she might tap into them without realizing it, which may cause some complications." Naraku shrugged slightly. "But I would not worry about it. You are a taiyoukai, perhaps the strongest I have ever seen, and you will have no trouble handling her."

This bit of flattery did not affect Sesshomaru in the slightest. Instead, he simply ignored it, his eyes flashing to the door once more.

"Do not let her fool you, assassin. Do not let her play games with you. Do not fail, and the Shikon no Tama will be yours." Naraku warned.

"Your warnings are useless, Naraku. Perhaps you find me incapable, but I assure you, I am very capable." Sesshomaru's words sparked with slight anger.

They stared at each other for a few moments as the fury of thunder, wind, and rain rattled the wood of the warehouse. Slowly, Naraku held out a clenched hand above the table.

"I will be awaiting your return. When you have the Shikon Jewel, place this into your arm, it will alert me of the capture. And, do not be hesitant to kill the girl or anyone who gets in your way." His words hissed lowly.

And with that, Naraku disappeared into a hazy cloud of gray, leaving Sesshomaru with a small glittering green shard resting on his palm.

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Kagome Higarashi, a shy, pretty girl of fifteen, struggled up the stairs to her dorm. In her arms was a load of thick text books and three ringed notebooks, so high that it covered almost all of her face, except for her chocolate brown eyes, which barely peered over the top of a loose paper. Her glossy ebony hair hung high in a loose ponytail, and her bangs covered her forehead, which added to her visual impairment.

She trudged up the stairs, getting many glances from passerbies.

"Finals." She would mumble quietly, almost to herself, and they would shake their heads in understanding.

The whole school had been in a panic of finals: two weeks to study, one week to take them, and suddenly poor Kagome's world had been ricocheted out of proportion. No trips to the shopping center. No small talk with close friends in the Sake shop. No beach, no sun, no air, no life, just finals, finals, _finals!_

Kagome rolled her eyes at this thought, and for a split second did not keep her eyes on the maroon-carpeted stairway.

She missed a step, and tripped on the next.

She soon found herself flying, books and papers fluttering around her in a sudden busy flurry, crashing on many steps, some books opened, many papers disorganized. Kagome, whose hands were free from the prison of her earlier cargo, broke her fall, and she felt like her already strained wrist bones had shattered from the impact.

She turned around, laying on her back, and sat up. A cry of contempt erupted from her mouth as she saw her books, notes, notebooks, which she had in an organized stack earlier, now laying around her a circle of desecration.

Rubbing her wrist hastily, wishing the pain would subside, she decided she should at least pick up what she could, make it into another stack she could at least carry the remainder of the distance to her dorm. But most importantly, she would do this before anyone saw.

_Too late._ She thought in great remorse, as she saw a boy and a girl turn the corner and begin to ascend the stairs as well.

They looked up, and upon seeing Kagome, began to rush up towards her.

"Oh my! What happened?" The girl squealed, beginning to pick up a few stranded papers some way down the staircase.

Kagome felt a bright crimson spill across her cheeks.

"I, uh, tripped."

Both the girl and the boy let out soft chuckles, and Kagome smiled slightly as her cheeks burned an even brighter red.

"Indeed. Well let us help you to your dorm. I'm assuming you need help, yes?"

"Yes, I would appreciate that very much."

_I won't be able to show my face around these parts for a very long time._ She thought in remorse.

After collecting the many assortments of items from the flooring of the hallway, Kagome and the boy and the girl made their way up the stairs and down the narrow hallway to her dorm. Reaching the white door plated _214_, Kagome bowed in appreciation, and waved to them farewell as they dumped her large load in front of the door. She struggled to find the key within her pants, finally feeling it within her back pocket.

Putting it into the lock and turning, she opened the door with a click, only to see even a greater mess inside.

Books, dirty kitchenware, papers, and pens were sprawled across the dining table, couch, carpet, dresser, and one bed, apparently Sango's.

_Wherever Sango is,_ Kagome assured herself, _I will surely kill her._

Kagome pushed her own mess into the living room, and then managed to maneuver it to her bed. Hoisting her books and binders, she stuffed them under her bed, and took her loose papers and sprawled them across her bedsheet to organize later.

She looked around, Sango not in sight. She got up, walking through her dorm, which was now a obstacle course, making her way to the kitchen. She noticed the unfriendly pile of dishes that nearly towered to the ceiling, knowing with great dissatisfaction that she of course, would have to do them later.

She reached into the fridge, bringing out a small bottle of soda pop, which she kept in there for studying purposes. She was about to study her first and undoubtedly most enlightening unit, the History of Japanese Military.

(She actually quite loathed the subject, and the teacher Ms. Linn, must have had been a man before; she really needed to wax her upper lip, Kagome added with a thoughtful smirk.)

Plopping back down on her bed, she reached underneath her, pulling out the first notebook she found, which was labeled _Calculus_. Seeing this, she was tempted to throw it out the open window near her, but instead reached again underneath her. It was not the notebook she was looking for, so she continued to reach under her, again and again pulling out notebooks and books, until when she reached, she could grab only air.

Thinking she must have pushed the notebook farther back beneath the bed, she plopped down to the floor and lifted up the cotton curtain. She saw nothing.

In slight panic, she laid down completely and put her head underneath the bed frame. She tried to look farther underneath, but only saw darkness and dust. She sat back on her bed again, thinking, hoping, praying, that she had missed it. But after looking through her papers again, and then a second time, and a final third time, she sat, dumbstruck.

_Where is that damn notebook? _She thought._ Ms. Linn isn't the type to give out extra copies of notes. _

She grumbled in despair. Without those notes, she would surely flunk!

Sitting for a moment, she figured she must have missed it on the staircase. Despite this hope, she still had doubts that made her stomach plummet.

And there was always the possibility someone had already picked them up. Her face darkened, now in completely panic. She began to run quickly to the door, jumping over a fallen chair with the skill of a track star. She slid slightly across the wooden floor of the threshold, and opened the door quickly.

What happened next would shape the course of her future.

She flung herself out the door, still unbalanced from the wooden floor, and almost tripping, landed in something very soft and fluffy.

She looked up, mortified, for she landed in what appeared to be the white jacket fur of a tall older guy, possibly a senior. His golden eyes sparkled with curiosity and amusement, and she couldn't help but feel like she had lost all sense of her lower body. Her legs began to turn to jelly. She stood there, trying to snap out of it, but his eyes, his sparkling white hair, his unusual purple markings, captivated her.

"Yes?" He remarked, looking at her with a slight smile on his face.

"Oh! Sorry! Just, heading down to the stairs to find, um, something." She said, the jumble of words coming out of her mouth uncontrollably.

She could no longer stand the humiliation, and fled, running fast down the pale yellow corridor. She reached the familiar maroon staircase, scanning each jagged step for her notebook. She descended a few steps, looking near the bottom. Nothing.

Her eyes welled up with tears. Panic struck, she decided she would return to her dorm, and see if anyone would lend her the notes to copy.

But she had no time to copy anything. She would have to see if anyone was done studying and lend her the notes, an unlikely situation seeing that History usually never quite stuck to student brains. Maybe she should just take the fail and pray to the gods her parents would understand? Whatever the case, she had a lot of phone calls to make that night, and far less time for sleep.

"Looking for this?" A deep voice called out from behind her, disturbing her thoughts.

She turned around, at first annoyed, and then relieved. The guy that she had ran into in the hall was now behind her, arm extended, holding her notebook!

A wide smile played her lips when she saw this.

"Yes! Thank you!" She cried, and took the book from his hand.

He looked down at her for a moment, and without another word, left, passing her and the staircase and headed down the rest of the corridor. Kagome was tempted to say goodbye but figured that would be stretching her luck a little too much.

She watched him go, notebook in hand, with starry eyes. She noted his unusual outfit, his beautiful, stunning white hair, his careful stride as he turned the corner and disappeared. She felt her head become light, like her body was floating slightly in the air.

She watched him go, a sudden radiance, a warmth, dancing inside her chest.

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Please review! It would make me so happy if you did. I need the feedback!

Second chapter already done, as well as the third and the fourth. I'll update if ya'll like it.

Cheers!


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